Intrax-KYB - Lowering Height Issues

[ZeroDCX]

 

This is my Bir-traxed 92' Regal. It's got KYB's all around with Intrax Lowering Springs (installed on 96' Monte Carlo Strut-Knuckle Assemblies) and the rear Birchmount Lowering Leaf Spring. The Driver's side of my car has settled nicely (although I would still like it to sit a little lower), but the passenger side is really high. It's become much more than an eyesore and it's really irritating; Especially when it's the highest side of your car. I know it needs an alignment badly. I've also removed the passenger strut-knuckle assembly to make sure that I install the the parts back correctly and I can't seem to find anything wrong. Got any ideas? (these have been installed for almost two years btw)

 

Pics

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Driver's side

 

 

 

Passenger Side (the eyesore)

 

[slick]

Wow... Umm.... have you verified that the spring has compressed? Strut isn't frozen?

[slick]

I will add that I've never seen a perfectly balanced GM (well, without coilovers), but that's too far off.

[ZeroDCX]

Yeah, I have ... actually the struts are brand new. I installed them three weeks ago. It was the same with my old struts too (stockers). I know I wouldn't be able to get them perfectly balanced, but that's just too much of a huge difference.

[19Cutlass94]

My car is like that, but the front is within 1/2" of each other. Theres gotta be something else wrong with that much heighth difference.

[ZeroDCX]

Yeah, but the thing is attempting to troubleshoot what's causing the problem. I'll attempt to switch the coil springs and see if it'll raise up the other side. Just to eliminate the actual spring being the problem. My car does need an alignment really bad though, maybe that has a little to do with it.

[Andrew]

was the car level before lowering?

 

has it ever been in an accident?

[ZeroDCX]

I'm not sure if the car was level or not before though ... doesn't help me any that I don't know.

 

Now that you mention it ... Not an accident per say, but the previous owner did mention a tire blowing out and he went up over the curb. That's about it. So I'm assuming that there was some blunt force on one or either side of the front end.

[slick]

Is one of your control arms bent?

 

On another note, I've measured a TON of stock GM's, and most are about 1" off, side to side. My dad's 95 Impala and my Bonneville were the most noticable. The least noticeable were the compact cars, like a Sunfire.

[ZeroDCX]

Well I'll pray that one of the control arms are bent, cause that would irritate the heck outta me.Especially since right now that's the highest side of my car. Either that or it's time for some front coilovers. Speaking about front coilovers, has anyone come up with a better/cheaper solution other than the Held Motorsports coilovers? I own a w-body ... can't be paying almost as much as I paid for my car for a set of front coilovers.

[Andrew]

a few threads down..............

 

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?topic=71448.0

[ZeroDCX]

Isn't that thread solely devoted to the assembly of rear coilovers? I already have a Birchmount Rear Leaf Spring in the rear of my car. I'm looking to see if anyone's made any progress with front coilovers.

 

Theoretically could a bent control arm cause this? I looked underneath the car today and there are some marks that signify that I was hit. It also seems like the spring on the passenger side doesn't compress nearly as far as on the driver's side ... it's off by at least 1 inch. Thanks for the replies guys.

[slick]

Yeah, it could just be very possible that the springs compressed differently. Even ever-so-slight material's will result in humongous differences.

 

I guess if the car isn't a DD, I'll it the springs out and compare them side by side. That, or atleast pull the wheel off and look at the control arm pretty well.